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Cost of living

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Rent

40 replies

Quadmumma · 12/03/2025 12:20

I currently reside with my partner and our new baby (15 weeks) in my partners parents home.
my partner has a full time job he comes out with £400 weekly, I’m currently at home with baby.
recently his mum has put our rent up to £550 monthly plus buying our own food etc
mum just wondering how much people would charge or do charge for rent these days, obviously I help out in the house as atm this is the only way for me to contribute as I’m not in work and I can’t get free childcare until baby is 9 months old, I’d also like to note that parents monthly income is £4k including our rent once all bills are paid it’s £2.2k
thqnkyou

OP posts:
murasaki · 12/03/2025 20:28

I think you had a baby before you know what the real world costs. Oh dear. They could kick you out any time they like.

Viviennemary · 12/03/2025 20:32

You are really lucky that his parents allow you to stay in their home with a new baby. If you aren't happy then you need to move out.

KievLoverTwo · 12/03/2025 22:56

I assume you are essentially renting a room in the house in which they also live with you and your partner and baby? I do not read your post as you renting their house off them and having the whole house to yourself.

£450-550 per month is the going rate for room rentals where I live in the Northeast. Then all the tenants split the bills.

Here are my bills:

Internet £36 per month
Council tax £2.9k a year - will go past 3k in April
Water £726 per year - until March it was £612
Energy is absolutely horrific at the moment at around £470 a month
Insurance £330 per year - that’s just for contents insurance - I live on a river. Homeowners have to pay for both contents and buildings insurance to cover the cost of rebuilding the whole house if the worst was to happen to it. Mine is particularly expensive due to the river location. My last contents not on a river last year was £45 a year.
TV licence £15 per month

My rent - for the whole house, not just a room - £1650 per month

This is for a four bedroom bungalow.

Running a household is painful these days.

I hope that gives you some vague idea of bills.

A two bedroom terrace has a council tax of £1515 ish per year where I am - it does get cheaper the smaller the house is (as does water, but it doesn’t just halve).

When I turned 16 and got my first job, my mum charged me £200 a month from my £550 take home - that included food - but was just for one person, not three. So if you are being charged £550 from an income of £1800 I would say your partner’s family are being quite generous and probably just literally trying to cover their costs whilst at the same time leaving you with enough money to save up to get some independence.

And to give you an idea of how much prices have risen - my energy is 50% more than in 2022 and my 2021-2022 water bill was £235 instead of £726.

Good luck with the arrangement. I hope it works out well for you all.

everychildmatters · 13/03/2025 12:41

@KievLoverTwo How is your energy bill £470 a month?!!!! We're a family of 5 and paying £165 pm. Our water bill is around £170 per quarter so also cheaper.
Agree with you re rent though. Ours is £1,150 for a 3-bed (and we're getting a good deal). Council Tax £230 pm.
So yes, they're getting a very good deal!

KievLoverTwo · 13/03/2025 16:42

everychildmatters · 13/03/2025 12:41

@KievLoverTwo How is your energy bill £470 a month?!!!! We're a family of 5 and paying £165 pm. Our water bill is around £170 per quarter so also cheaper.
Agree with you re rent though. Ours is £1,150 for a 3-bed (and we're getting a good deal). Council Tax £230 pm.
So yes, they're getting a very good deal!

Edited

Horrifically designed and set up underfloor heating with no timer. Same with hot water. Vast room, 3/4 glass. Big glass windows, Glass porch with no inner door. Thermostats on wrong walls trying to heat 800 sq ft of open floor space instead of the 8x12ft room I actually want to be not freezing. 60s bungalow with failed, retrofit insulation. Roof covered in moss that just holds rain and stays cold.

Can’t actually get any of the rooms above 19 degrees despite the horrific costs. Had to abandon the biggest and best room for two months in winter where it was so cold.

Oh, and I am stuck on business rates for the time being through no fault of my own.

I could have done a really short TLDR answer for you: landlords.

everychildmatters · 13/03/2025 20:29

@KievLoverTwo That sounds awful - so sorry to hear you're cold. Oh and yes, don't talk to me about private rental landlords. Makes me so cross. They can basically do what they like (or rather, don't do what they cant be bothered to do/will cost them to do).
Any chance you could move? I know that is far easier said than done 😞

KievLoverTwo · 13/03/2025 20:58

everychildmatters · 13/03/2025 20:29

@KievLoverTwo That sounds awful - so sorry to hear you're cold. Oh and yes, don't talk to me about private rental landlords. Makes me so cross. They can basically do what they like (or rather, don't do what they cant be bothered to do/will cost them to do).
Any chance you could move? I know that is far easier said than done 😞

Edited

We started looking for a house to buy 10 weeks after moving in. The heating and energy costs are just the tip of the iceberg with this property.

everychildmatters · 13/03/2025 23:06

@everychildmatters Aw really hope you find something lovely soon. We're long-term renters as, despite both working, we just don't earn enough to able to buy. 10 years and counting, unfortunately, and we're already 44 and 49 with no chance in the future. Still, it's a roof I guess.
Bet you can't wait to leave and hopefully the bills will come down for you x

sansou · 14/03/2025 13:22

It's a good deal. They're doing you a favour! I'm sure they would rather not share a house with a baby GC out of choice. Why don't you look at what it'll cost you to move out? It's probably sensible to have a plan to move out in the near future. Get a job in the evenings/weekends when your DP can look after the baby. It's always good to have options and be self reliant. Where did you live before?

Boomer55 · 14/03/2025 17:05

You’ve got a bargain. Your in laws are very fair.

Eastie77Returns · 14/03/2025 17:26

I’m assuming the the ILs want OP and her partner to move out and so surely they should be charging minimal rent to enable them to save? If they (ILs) already have a high disposable income then it would be reasonable to just charge a nominal amount. OP’s partner is on a low income so £550 sounds steep especially as baby will get more expensive at he/she grows.

But on MN people think it’s reasonable for parents to demand money from their children as soon as they start earning anything, even a weekend job, so not surprised at the responses on here. I worked from the age of 17 and my parents didn’t ask me for a penny. I used my wages to pay for driving lessons and save a bit before going to university. They both worked FT so I think it would have been outrageous to take money from a child earning £3.50 an hour at Woolworths (I’m in my 40s so this was a while ago!).

everychildmatters · 15/03/2025 20:16

@Eastie77Returns Why should the ILs be housing them at all? Two adults with a baby should be self-sufficient.

Blondebrownorred · 15/03/2025 20:47

Are you not receiving maternity pay from your job? I'm assuming you had a job before you had the baby.

AnneLovesGilbert · 15/03/2025 20:58

When are you planning to move out and support yourselves? Has either of you ever lived independently? Rent is expensive. Running a home is expensive. Children are expensive.

kalokagathos · 15/03/2025 22:38

That’s a great deal compared to outside of it includes the utilities, internet etc

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